SC QUALITY GUILDProject charter
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The business case, problem, goal, scope, team and milestones in the order the work needs them, with checks on the two statements that most charters get wrong.
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What the charter does
The charter is the agreement between the sponsor and the team. It says what problem is being worked on, why it matters, what success looks like in numbers, what is in and out of scope, who is on the team and when each phase should finish. Sponsor sign-off is the key Define deliverable and is confirmed at the Define tollgate. Everything after it can be checked against it, which is why it is worth writing carefully.
The problem statement: a fact, not a diagnosis
A good problem statement says what is wrong, where, since when and how big, and stops there. It does not say why, and it does not say what to do about it.
Compare: "Rejects are high on line 3 because of new operators, so we need more training." That statement has already decided the cause and the fix. The team will spend the project proving it. Against: "From January to June, 4.2% of line 3 assemblies were rejected for nicked seals, against 1.0% on lines 1 and 2 building the same part." That one gives the team a gap to explain and leaves the explanation open.
The checks above look for words that usually signal a cause (because, due to, lack of) or a solution (implement, install, need to), and for a statement with no number in it. They are word checks, not judgment; read the flags and decide.
The goal statement: from, to, by
A goal statement names the metric, the baseline, the target and the date: reduce X from A to B by date. Fill in the four goal fields and the tool writes the sentence for you. The goal is usually set somewhere between the baseline and the best performance anyone has seen, and is agreed with the sponsor, not set by the team alone.
Scope
Write the out-of-scope list as carefully as the in-scope one. Teams lose weeks to work that someone assumed was included. If the sponsor will not agree to a scope line now, that is a risk worth writing down.
On the Yellow Belt exam
The project charter is topic II.B.1 of the 2022 CSSYB Body of Knowledge. Expect to be asked which element of a charter a given sentence belongs to, and to spot a problem statement that contains a cause or a solution.
Common questions
What goes in a Six Sigma project charter?
The business case, the problem statement, the goal statement, the scope (in and out), the team with roles, the milestones by DMAIC phase, and the sponsor's approval. Load the worked example above to see one filled in.
How do you write a problem statement?
Say what is wrong, where, since when and how big, with the impact, and leave out causes and solutions. For example: “Since March, 6.2% of housings from Line 3 fail the leak test, against 1.5% on the other lines, costing about $18,000 a month in scrap and rework.”
How do you write a goal statement?
Start from the baseline and give a measurable target and a date: “Reduce Line 3 leak-test failures from 6.2% to 1.5% or less by September 30.” It should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound.
Who approves the project charter?
The champion or sponsor, usually at the end of the Define phase. The charter is a living document: update it if the data changes the problem or the scope, and have the sponsor agree.